escalator

Everyday

An escalator is a moving staircase that carries people up or down between floors. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday safety, escalators are in shopping centres, airports and stations (like the London Underground). Rules: hold the handrail, face forwards, stand still, keep shoelaces, scarves and loose clothes away from the edges, step on and off carefully, never sit or play on it, and carry small dogs. In the UK, stand on the right so others can walk on the left. In science, escalators show energy and motors at work. Phrases: up escalator, down escalator, take the escalator, stand on the right.

Examples

• We took the escalator to the top floor. tree →
• Hold the handrail on the escalator. tree →
• Stand on the right on the escalator. tree →
• Don't run up the down escalator. tree →
• Mind your shoelaces on the escalator. tree →
• The escalator was broken, so we used the stairs. tree →

Note

"An escalator", with "an". Spelling: es-ca-la-tor. If someone falls or gets caught, there is a red emergency stop button at the top and bottom. A lift (elevator in American English) is different: it is a moving box, not stairs.